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Eğitimde Yeni Normlar-II

orgia. The university’s main focus is to improve its position on the international higher education scene
providing opportunities to learn excellent professional and academic skills maintaining internationally
competitive education, research and innovation services significant for Georgia’s sustainable development.
GTU was founded in 1922 as a Polytechnic Faculty of Tbilisi State University. Next year we celebrate 100
anniversary of our University, planning a lot of celebration activities and events hopping that the pandemic
situation will be improved for that time. In 2001 GTU became a full member of the European University
Association – EUA. In 2005 Georgia joined Bologna Process.
We have more then 22 268 students at GTU, among them are 665 international students. GTU
has 12 faculties – not only Engineering but also humanities (https://gtu.ge/Eng/Study/Faculties-Depart-
ments.php ) and 16 English language educational programs: https://gtu.ge/Eng/Study/Eng-Lang-Educa-
tional-Programs.php
Following the outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic, all higher education institutions in Georgia, including
GTU, switched to online education. It should be noted that e-learning has existed for several decades in
many developed countries, so it was not difficult for such countries to comply with the rules imposed
on education in the world. In our country there was very little experience in this regard, so the situation
was much more complicated.
Distance learning has existed in the world’s leading universities until now. Most higher education
institutions offer students at least one distance learning course. In our country, the transition to distance
learning was first planned several years ago, considering only a synchronous method, but it should be
noted that the law on distance learning has been significantly developed by the pandemic process.
Before Covid-19, there were no terms related to non-traditional forms of education, although many
terms are used today to refer to it, including: e-learning, distance education/distance learning, online edu-
cation/learning, blended learning, hybrid learning.
New Georgian communication platform for distance learning – Feedc Edu was offered to Georgian
public schools, as an alternative communication tool. Herewith the following activities have been provi-
ded in this regard: Virtual classrooms have been created; Microsoft Office 365 User Profile created for
schools; the platform www.el.ge has been integrated in Teams; there was started publishing an electronic
magazine „Online school“; launched the pilot project Minecraft, which is used to perform complex tasks
and develop creative and critical thinking; webinars for entrants (applicants) were held.
Mixed classes have been introduced mainly in higher education institutions. In particular, in GTU, due
to the pandemic situation, lectures are mainly held online, while laboratory works – face-to-face.
Of course, there were also problems with mobility. Due to Covid-19 situation students and staff par-
ticipating in Erasmus + and other exchange programs found it difficult to go abroad as part of a project
due to the Pandemic restrictions, accordingly some specific difficulties (travel and accommodation rela-
ted) have been occurred though thanks to partner universities’ IROs excellent project management and
coordination of relevant issues these problems were solved efficiently.
Soon thereafter, we accepted a challenge and have already realized a number of incoming and out-
going mobility flows within the projects. As we have number of exchange projects, GTU International Re-
lations and Standards Office provides daily consultations and weekly informative sessions for interested
applicants in order to motivate them to participate in mobility. Now due to Covid-19 situation, GTU provides
online consultations for interested applicants as well as for the Deans of the Faculties to ensure project
dissemination activities appropriately.
Therefore GTU IRSO has been providing needed assistance to mobility participants, especially within
Covid-19 situation (visa issues, travel, accommodation, safety and protection, support).
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – OECD has released a report to
address the challenges posed by education through the 2020 pandemic Covid-19 in education. The study
discusses examples from 98 countries. The steps taken by the Government of Georgia to ensure a con-

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